With ATM attacks costing the U.S. ATM industry an estimated $4.5 million annually, financial institutions are looking for ways to protect their assets. ATM attacks include brute force attacks, where individuals attempt to remove the actual ATM from its location to access its vault; and physical attacks, where individuals attempt to gain access to the safe or vault inside the ATM through mechanical or thermal means. In a recent white paper, Jim Merrell, Diebold’s director, global product marketing and management, offers a variety of solutions to protect ATMs including:
- Integrating ATMs into the side of the bank or brick building
- Placing physical barriers around the machine
- Working with police to patrol high-risk locations
- Installing new or improved lighting around the ATM
Mounting surveillance cameras at various locations around the ATM to help capture close views and angles that may reveal license plates and vehicle descriptions
In addition, Diebold established a Global Security Task Force to help develop strategies and assist customers in responding to fraud, as well as understand fraud-deterrent tools and technologies. Diebold’s Global Security Task Force collects, analyzes, clarifies and disseminates fraud and security related news and information. Its members participate in industry forums engaged in anti-fraud efforts including the EFTA Anti-Fraud Task Force, the ATMIA Anti-Fraud Guidelines Team and the Global ATM Security Alliance.
Merrell believes that all of these efforts will reduce the appeal of ATM attacks. “You have to take away the rewards or make the risk of attack or being caught so high that it’s not worth it anymore,†he said.
Download Diebold's Whitepaper on ATM Protection.
